Match Report: Northampton Saints 30 – 24 Exeter Chiefs

Resolute defence helped Northampton Saints claim their first win of the Gallagher Premiership season, as they defeated Exeter Chiefs 30-24 in Round 2 of the competition. 

Saints began their first home league clash in the ascendency, quickly racking up 13-point lead with a score from Alex Coles and eight points from Fin Smith’s boot.

While Chiefs hit back before the break to send Olly Woodburn over and close the gap, Saints stretched their lead to 20 points when tries from Chunya Munga and Rory Hutchinson were coupled with a Smith drop goal. 

Exeter again fought their way back into the clash in the closing stages – via a pair of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scores – but Saints’ defensive prowess came to the fore as they closed out the game and sealed their first league win of the new campaign.

FIRST HALF:

Juarno Augustus was back to his rampaging best to set up Saints’ first score early on, as the No.8 collected Curtis Langdon’s pass and went charging through a gap in Chiefs’ defence, reaching the five-metre line before finding Coles on his shoulder to finish the score. 

Smith converted and not long after landed another three points with a penalty from close to halfway, following a high tackle on George Furbank.

The hosts then defended superbly inside their own 22 as Exeter looked to get a foothold in the game, eventually relieving some pressure as Furbank, Smith and Hutchinson all combined to stop Paul Brown-Bampoe scoring a breakaway try.

A scrum penalty against the head, brilliantly won by Trevor Davison, allowed Smith to knock over another three points from right in front of the posts, but at 13-0 down, Chiefs got the final word of the first half.

Harvey Skinner picked a gap in the Saints line, with Brown-Bampoe running the dummy line on his shoulder, before sending Woodburn clear to run under the posts. Hodge converted to make it 13-7 at the break.

SECOND HALF:

Saints emerged from the changing rooms six points ahead but had that lead cut to three as Hodge landed a long-range penalty from the halfway line with the help of the right upright. 

Northampton wasted no time stretching back ahead though, as a brilliant solo effort from Munga saw the lock charge a Chiefs box kick down and regather the bouncing ball to score just left of the sticks. 

Smith made good his second conversion from the tee and Saints set about exploiting the edges of Chiefs’ defence with a series of crossfield kicks left and right. Eventually the tactic paid off and it was Hutchinson who benefited to score in the left corner, and again Smith converted the score.

A huge drop goal from Smith on the hour mark – where the fly-half sent the ball through the sticks from just inside Chiefs’ half – put Saints 20 points clear, but Chiefs hit back with a score of their own. After a trip to the TMO to check a knock-on in the build-up, Feyi-Waboso’s finish down the right wing made it 30-17. 

Saints’ defence kicked into gear as Chiefs battled inside the 22. After repelling wave after wave of phases from Exeter, a high tackle from Hutchinson eventually ended in a yellow card for the centre and Chiefs capitalised quickly, sending Feyi-Waboso over in the corner again. 

But a huge final defensive set from Saints earned them a penalty as the clock ticked into the red, with Smith tapping the ball before booting it into the stands to seal Saints’ first win of the Premiership season. 

Saints continue on in the league next week, taking to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens again next Friday (4 October, kick-off: 7.45pm) as Harlequins come to town. 

LINE-UPS:

Saints: Furbank (c), Ramm, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Freeman F Smith, James; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Munga, Coles, Kemeny, Pearson, Augustus. 
Replacements: R Smith, West, Green, Scott-Young, Graham, McParland, Thame, Sleightholme.

Chiefs: Hodge, Feyi-Waboso, Woodburn, Hawkins, Brown-Bampoe, Skinner, Maunder; Sio (c), Frost, Painter, Tuima, Tshiunza, Roots, Capstick, Vintcent.
Replacements: Yeandle, Goodrick-Clarke, Street, Dunne, Moloney, Cairns, Haywood-Wood, Rigg.